Army garrison CFC coordinator recognized as campaign hero

Antonnete Fernandez, a U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern employee, receives a contribution check from Soldiers during the 2011 Combined Federal Campaign-Overseas campaign. She was recently recognized for her hard work with the CFC Hero Award.

Antonnete Fernandez, a U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern employees, poses with Betzi, the friendly devil mascot from FuYball-Club Kaiserslautern. During the 2011 Combined Federal Campaign-Overseas campaign, Fernandez also organized radio interviews...

Antonnete Fernandez, a U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern employee, receives a contribution check from Soldiers during the 2011 Combined Federal Campaign-Overseas campaign. She was recently recognized for her hard work with the CFC Hero Award.

Antonnete Fernandez, a U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern employees, poses with Betzi, the friendly devil mascot from FuYball-Club Kaiserslautern. During the 2011 Combined Federal Campaign-Overseas campaign, Fernandez also organized radio interviews...

Fernandez, who works at the garrison's administrative support division, part of the directorate human resources, received the CFC Hero Award from the Department of Defense's Office of Personnel Management. The award was announced in mid-July.

Each year, OPM recognizes people who make extraordinary contributions to CFC through their dedication and creativity. Fernandez earned the recognition for "mentoring her unit representatives, publicizing the campaign and demonstrating her personal commitment and dedication to helping those whose need is great," according to a news release from Global Impact, the organization that administers the CFC-O program. The hero awards are presented to the campaign's unsung heroes who make significant differences and demonstrate leadership qualities in their campaigns.

Fernandez was among a group of committed leaders who received this much-deserved recognition, said Renée S. Acosta, Global Impact's president. In May, Acosta visited U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern and thanked Fernandez for her efforts, to include her tireless promotion and focus on the family support and youth programs fund which directs contributions to programs that support kids locally. While visiting Sembach Kaserne, Acosta presented the garrison a check for $24,995 that will go toward children's recreation activities in the Kaiserslautern Military Community.

"The CFC-O is a challenging campaign spread around the world," Acosta said. "Yet, year after year the campaign and its generous donors provide significant funds to help people everywhere."

In 2011, the overall CFC campaign raised more than $14.2 million. Thanks in part of Fernandez's hard work, U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern pledged more than $450,000 during 2011 -- roughly $125,000 more than the previous year.

Five different people recommended Fernandez for the award, said Samantha Barrett, the CFC-Overseas coordinator for Europe and Africa.

In 2011, Lt. Col. Lars Zetterstrom, commander of U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern, kicked off the CFC campaign by shooting soccer balls at a goal tended by Betzi, the friendly devil mascot from FuYball-Club Kaiserslautern. Fernandez then organized radio interviews, community information booths and Facebook posts to get the word out, Barrett said

"She went above and beyond what she needed to do, out on weekends at events to increase awareness," Barrett said. "She went the extra step made sure everyone was aware of the campaign."